Machine Tool Research, Inc.

What Machine Tool Research, Inc. does

Machine Tool Research, Inc. (MTR) is a Rochester, NY-based industrial manufacturer founded in 1982 by former employees of the historic Farrel Corporation. The company builds new custom machine tools and rebuilds or retrofits large vintage machine tools — primarily lathes, vertical boring mills, and planer mills — for enterprise customers in government/defense, steel mills, power generation, aerospace, general manufacturing, mining, and oil & gas. MTR holds exclusive OEM rights to three legacy product lines: Farrel, Betts, and Sellers, and operates from a 150,000+ square foot facility on the former Farrel site.

Technically, MTR integrates CNC controls from all three major vendors — Fanuc (certified systems integrator), Siemens (Solutions Partner), and Heidenhain (Northeast U.S. distributor) — into both new builds and legacy retrofits. Differentiated capabilities include hydrostatic bearings, twin-pinion anti-backlash drives, manual-to-CNC conversions, and precision scraping for box ways. The company supports customers via in-house mechanical and controls engineering, OEM-style and reverse-engineered parts supply, 3D metrology (FARO laser tracker, Renishaw interferometer, Keyence portable CMM), and nationwide field service for installation, alignment, and emergency repair. Named enterprise customers include General Electric, Siemens, Mitsubishi, BAE, and ITT.

Commercially, MTR is an employee-owned ESOP (since April 2018) operating a project-based, RFQ-driven sales motion with custom pricing per engagement. Rebuilds and retrofits are positioned at roughly two-thirds the cost of comparable new equipment, providing a cost-driven value proposition against OEM replacement. Go-to-market is sales-led and enterprise-field-sales, with a formal four-step RFQ process (Contact → Proposal → Purchase Order → Scheduling), supported by a content marketing/SEO presence, direct RFQ web form, and nationwide field service dispatch. MTR is privately held with no external investors or parent company, and underwent a leadership transition at the close of 2023 when founder Tom Plucknette Jr. retired and Erik Szakos was named President & CEO.

Name

Machine Tool Research, Inc.

Legal name

Machine Tool Research, Inc.

Website

https://mtrnet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Machine Tool Research, Inc. is an ESOP-owned, Rochester, NY-based industrial manufacturer that builds, rebuilds, and retrofits large machine tools (lathes, boring mills, planer mills) for enterprise customers in defense, aerospace, steel, power generation, and general manufacturing, holding exclusive OEM rights to the Farrel, Betts, and Sellers legacy lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Machine Tools

NAICS

Machine Tool Manufacturing (333517), Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (3335)

SIC

Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541), Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540)

akta.pro primary industry

CNC Machine Tools (Turning, Milling, Machining Centers) (IMAHADAA)

Keywords

• Custom machine tool building
• Machine tool rebuilding
• CNC retrofit services
• Industrial machining services
• Machine alignment metrology

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. New Machine Builds: Custom machine tool design and manufacturing for lathes, vertical boring mills, and planer mills. Includes complete engineered packages with schematics, software, and commissioning. Revenue is project-based with significant capital investment per machine.
2. Machine Rebuilds & Retrofits: Restoration and modernization of existing machine tools to OEM standards. Includes mechanical rebuilds, manual to CNC conversions, and CNC upgrades. Approximately two-thirds the cost of comparable new equipment.
3. Machine Parts: Supply of OEM parts for Farrel, Betts, Sellers, and MTR machine tools. Also provides parts for Heidenhain, Fanuc, and Siemens controls. Includes reverse engineering capabilities for obsolete or damaged parts.
4. Engineering Services: Controls and mechanical engineering services including CNC/PLC integration, AutoCAD design, FEA analysis, and system commissioning. Also includes troubleshooting and repair services for existing machine tools.
5. Machine Alignment & Metrology Services: Field service including machine alignments, laser calibration, emergency repairs, and 3D metrology services. Technicians are sent to customer facilities for on-site support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Machine Tool Research, Inc. (MTR) is a custom machine tool builder and rebuilder, designing and manufacturing new large machine tools (lathes, vertical boring mills, planer mills) and rebuilding or retrofitting vintage equipment to OEM standards using modern CNC technology from Fanuc, Siemens, and Heidenhain. Core offerings are supported by parts supply, mechanical and controls engineering services, and on-site field service including machine alignment, laser calibration, scraping, and 3D metrology.

Product overview

Machine Tool Research, Inc. (MTR) operates as a machine tool builder and rebuilder offering custom machine builds and machine rebuilds/retrofits as its core products. These are supported by machine support services (including 3D metrology, alignments, scraping, and emergency repairs), machine parts, and engineering services. MTR also holds OEM rights to three historical machine tool lines—Farrel, Betts, and Sellers—which include lathes, vertical boring mills, vertical turning lathes, planer mills, horizontal boring mills, and drill grinders. The company integrates Fanuc, Siemens, and Heidenhain CNC control systems into its machines and retrofits. The 150,000+ square foot facility in Rochester, NY houses in-house manufacturing capabilities including milling, turning, surface grinding, welding/fabricating, painting, and assembly.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Machine Builds Design and build of custom machine tools to suit specific industry requirements, including lathes, vertical boring mills, and planer mills using up-to-date CNC technology with complete engineered packages.
• Machine Rebuilds & Retrofits Restoration of vintage machine tools to OEM standards and modernization with new CNC controls, mechanical upgrades, and electrical retrofits including manual-to-CNC conversions and CNC upgrades.
• Machine Support Services In-field and in-house machine support including 3D metrology services (FARO laser tracker, Renishaw laser interferometer, Keyence portable CMM), machine alignments, laser calibration, scraping, and emergency repairs.
• Machine Parts Supply of OEM-style and reverse-engineered parts for Farrel, Betts, Sellers, and MTR machines, including control parts for Fanuc, Siemens, and Heidenhain systems.
• Engineering Services Mechanical and controls engineering including machine design, redesign, reverse engineering, FEA analysis, and integration of CNC/PLC control systems using AutoCAD and 3D modeling software.

Quantifiable outcome

• Machine rebuilds and retrofits cost approximately two-thirds the cost of comparable new equipment
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ravensburg (Gmbh)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990MTR partnered with Ravensburg (Gmbh) in 1990. Ravensburg filed for bankruptcy in 1997, after which MTR purchased 100,000 sq/ft more building space. This was a historical partnership that contributed to MTR's growth.
• FanuccoreTechnology or IntegrationMTR is a certified Fanuc Systems integrator. Fanuc CNC controls are known for rock-solid reliability and unbeatable performance. MTR can install or retrofit machines with Fanuc CNC controls and provides parts and service for Fanuc systems with in-house controls engineers and electrical technicians. Fanuc has more than 4 million CNC controls installed worldwide.
• SiemenscoreTechnology or IntegrationMTR is a Siemens Solutions Partner providing quick assistance and competitive product pricing. MTR integrates Siemens SINUMERIK controls into new and vintage machine tools. Siemens Machine Tool Systems is a technology leader in the American machine tool market known for innovative, cutting edge solutions.
• HeidenhaincoreTechnology or IntegrationMTR is partnered with Heidenhain as a distributor in the North Eastern United States area. MTR integrates linear scales and rotary encoders from Heidenhain and completely supports the parts and service of these measuring systems. Heidenhain also offers CNC control systems which MTR may quote upon request.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Doosan Machine Tools: Doosan Machine Tools is a Korean CNC machine tool OEM with US operations, providing turning centers and machining centers serving automotive and heavy industrial customers—overlapping with MTR's general manufacturing and aerospace segments.
• Cincinnati Incorporated: Cincinnati Incorporated is a US-based builder of heavy-duty industrial machinery, including presses, shears, and laser cutting systems—similar customer profile (metal fabrication, heavy industry) and US manufacturing heritage to MTR.
• Mazak Corporation: Mazak is a major Japanese-owned CNC machine tool OEM with a strong US presence in Kentucky serving aerospace, energy, and heavy industrial customers—direct competition for MTR's new build and retrofit replacement-cycle opportunity.
• Okuma America Corporation: Okuma is a Japanese CNC machine tool OEM with significant US operations serving aerospace, defense, and industrial markets—competing head-to-head with MTR for large-format turning and milling installations.
• Haas Automation: Haas Automation is the largest US-based CNC machine tool builder, offering verticals machining centers, lathes, and specialty machines. It competes for the same general manufacturing and aerospace customers that MTR serves with larger custom machines.
• DMG MORI: DMG MORI is a global incumbent in CNC machine tool manufacturing, offering new turning, milling, and machining centers. While MTR focuses on rebuilds and custom builds, DMG MORI competes for the same enterprise customer's new-equipment budget.
• Fives Group / Fives Machining Systems: Fives is a global industrial engineering group that historically supplied large machine tools and machining systems (e.g., Cincinnati Lambton, Giddings & Lewis). Comparable to MTR in scale of custom large-format machine builds and aerospace/defense customer base.

Others

• Heidenhain Corporation: Heidenhain is a German manufacturer of CNC controls, linear scales, and rotary encoders—one of MTR's core technology partners (MTR is a Northeast distributor). Including as a peer highlights the controls ecosystem in which MTR operates and competes for retrofit specification influence.

Direct peers

• Bourn & Koch Inc. Bourn & Koch is a direct peer of MTR—a Rockford, IL-based machine tool rebuilder and builder specializing in large gear manufacturing equipment, surface grinders, and replacement parts. Both firms occupy the same niche of rebuilding vintage American heavy machine tools for industrial customers.
• Lees Bradner Company: Lees Bradner is a Cleveland, OH-based rebuilder and servicer of large industrial machinery, including heavy-duty lathes and boring mills—closely mirroring MTR's core rebuild/retrofit business for vintage American machine tools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/machine-tool-research-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Machine Tool Research, Inc.